Nameless Heroes
by angiewinstr
Summary: I go to a restaurant and see two brothers there who seem different than everybody else. I was wondering what I would be like if I didn't even know that they were our saviors and if I just saw them there.


The bells on the door of the restaurant tinkled as I entered, greeted by the chatter of people and mixed aromas of food being prepared. The friendly cashier directed me to a booth, set away in a corner and lit by a dangling light, and left me with a menu. Without bothering to look at the choices, I decided on my usual: broccoli soup and a ham sandwich. A few minutes later, the waitress had taken my order and brought me a Dr. Pepper.

While I sipped, I scanned the room, always enjoying watching people more than interacting with them. A teenage couple sat at a table for two, making eyes at each other and giggling. A few tables away, a rowdy bunch of men who seemed to have a little bit too much to drink, whistled rudely at the waitress bringing them more beer. She responded with a flirtatious flick of hair and strutted away, leaving them men hooting and laughing. A middle aged woman sat at a booth near mine, trying to spoon feed her baby while simultaneously cleaning up his spilled milk and animatedly arguing over the phone. A young woman with hair piled high on her head and rectangular glasses sat alone at a table holding her phone delicately as she texted. She glanced up and smiled sweetly as a waitress set down her food.

I continued searching the room and my eyes stopped on two young men sitting together at a booth. One lounged on his booth, arm thrown lazily across the back, mouth full of food. He faced the younger man, who looked to be in his early twenties and probably only just a few years younger than his companion. The younger had shaggy, dark brown hair and a cutely pointed nose while the other had lighter hair cropped closely to his head and shapely lips. I guessed that they were brothers. My assumption was confirmed when the one with nice lips and freckles made a remark, and his brother rolled his eyes without even looking up from the laptop he was hunched over. Obviously he had become immune to his brother's taunting. "Freckles" smirked and gulped down his beer, and "Shaggy" again became absorbed in his work, brow creased and lips pouted in concentration.

Something about this pair attracted my attention more than the others in the room, and I continued to watch them from a distance. My food came and I began to each distractedly. Freckles finished his food and beer and began to eye his brothers food. Again, without breaking his attention from the laptop, Shaggy shook his head and said, "No." Freckles snatched a roll off of Shaggy's plate, and only then did Shaggy look up. He tried to grab the food back, but Freckles stuffed the roll in his mouth maintaining eye contact and wiggling his head sassily. Shaggy gave up at this point and rolled his eyes. I could almost hear his exasperated sigh from here. I found myself grinning at their antics. As if to make up for stealing the food, Freckles asked Shaggy something which Shaggy replied to with a shake of his head and a concerned face.

They continued talking, and I caught only a few words: "witness", "Bobby", "dude", "investigate", "doppelganger", "motel", "demon", and "poltergeist". I was pretty sure I had heard them wrong a few times, so I ignored the "burn the body" and "could be witches" part, sure they must have said something more reasonable. I particularly loud group of friends entered the restaurant, drowning out the few words I might have heard the brothers say. Shaggy slouched down more in his booth, and his knees knocked against Freckles. Freckles didn't even seem to notice, and instead bit his lip flirtatiously at the waitress who giggled and tucked her hair behind her ear at some remark he made. She walked away smiling, and Shaggy directed another eye roll at Freckles who turned back smirking and threw his hands up in a "What?" Shaggy just shook his head and began typing away at his keyboard. The waitress returned in record time with a beer for Freckles who thanked her warmly. She turned towards Shaggy, and I assumed she asked if he would like one too. He looked up for a moment to shake his head and offered a brief smile. Freckles flirted a bit more until the waitress had to leave, and then gulped at his beer with a smile that clearly read "I'm getting laid tonight."

Shaggy straightened up in his seat and leaned closer towards his screen. He nearly jumped through the roof and swatted Freckles hand in excitement. Finally, he looked up from his laptop for the longest time that night and began talking rapidly to Freckles whose whole demeanor changed from guy who cared only about beer and babes to complete concentration on his brother. With every word, his face took on a look that seemed old and tired, but his body grew rigid as if prepared to take on the world. The brothers exchanged a few more words and then nodded in sync.

Shaggy slammed closed his laptop, untangled his long limbs from under the table, and stood. Freckles was up first but took a few more swallows of beer. Shaggy stopped for only a moment to pay, and then they both headed out the door. As they passed just a few feet away from me, I caught Freckles eye. They were beautiful green eyes with almost girly eyelashes, but even though we only held each other's gaze for a second, I saw so much pain and hurt underneath all the beauty. Then they both were gone, the bouncing of the bells on the door the only evidence that they had been there at all. I never even got their names.


End file.
